Water inlet system for washing machines



Feb. 21, 1950 w. F. OLIVER ETAL 2,498,179..

WATER INLET SYSTEM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed March 4, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS WALLACE E 04mm Anna L. JENJEN ATTOR N EY Feb. 21,1950 w, OLIVER ETAL 2,498,179

WATER INLET SYSTEM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed March 4, 1946 3Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTORS WALLACE f. OLIVER AL FRED L. NSEN Feb. 21,1950 w. F. OLIVER EI'AL 2,498,179

WATER INLET SYSTEM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed March 4, 1946 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS WALLAGEF OL/ ALFRED L. JEN

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 21, 1950 WATER INLET SYSTEM FOR WASHING MACHINESWallace F. Oliver and Alfred L. Jensen, South Bend, Ind., assignors toBendix Home Appliances, Inc., Delaware South Bend, Ind., a corporationof Application March 4,1946, Serial No. 651,820 6 Claims. (01. 68-207)This invention relates to a water inlet system for automatic washingmachines.

In recent automatic washing machine practice it has been found that inorder to satisfy re qulrements necessary to give positive assurance thatthere will be no reverse flow of used water back into asupply systemthat a water inlet should be provided which will make use of the waterpressure to force water across a gap into a tub inlet with the watertube at the gap a definite distance (generally one inch) above themaximum possible water level. Such a construction which preventspossibility of back flow is commonly termed a vacuum breaker. It isimportant in connection with such a vacuum breaker type of inlet system.that provision be made so that even-though an excessive amount of sudsis generated in the washing machine during the washing operation suchsuds will not overflow through the water inle It is therefore a primaryobject of the present invention to provide a water inlet system whichwill prevent objectionable back flow and overflow of suds out from themachine and to so arrange such construction that it can be used with avacuum breaker which directs water across an air gap and into a tubopening.

The above and other objects of the invention will appear more fully fromthe following more detailed description and from the drawings forming apart hereof and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a washing machine partly in section withwater inlet attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the washing machine shown in Figure 1 showingfurther details of the water inlet connections.

Figure 3 is a top view of the tub and the water inlet showing therelation of the inlet and the rotating cylinder inside the tub.

Figure 4 is a section taken from the line 44 of Figure 3 and shows thewater inlet in relation to the tub and cylinder.

Figure 5 is a top view of the water inlet conduit forming member showingthe branched conduits relative to the water tube inlet.

Referring'to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show side and rear views ofan automatic washing machine of the horizontal cylinder type. A tub I 0has a cylinder ll mounted for rotation therein, the cylinder .beingdriven from the rear of the tub through a pulley l2 and belt I3 from asource of power such as a motor I4 located in the base of the machine.The cylinder II is perforated around its circumference. Ar-

of suchform ticles to be washed containing water and soap and thecylinder is rotated first at a speed suitable for washing and at a latertime in the cycle of operations, the cylinder is rotated at a higherspeed as a centrifuge for the purpose of removing water. The machine isso constructed asto automatically proceed through a cycle of operationsincluding washing, rinsing and the draining of water.

The water inlet system includes a water inlet unit 20 at the top portionof the tub [0 as shown in Figure 1. A water tube 2| is secured to a hose22, the end 23 of the tube being suitably fastened by a clip as shown.An opening 24 is provided in the top of the tub under the end of thetube 23 and a conduit forming member 25 is secured inside the tub, themember 25 being as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 5, so that two branches ofthe conduit extend inside the tub wall. One of the branches 26, formedby this conduit member 25 is of such shape that its direction of outletcauses water to flow into the tub in a direction substantially parallelto the axis of rotation of the cylinder, while the other inlet 2! has acurved portion providing for outlet of water in a direction at asubstantial angle to the direction of water afforded by the outlet 26.Both of the outlets, however, eject waterin a direction substantiallytangent to the surface of the cylinder II. A lip member 28 is positionedoutside the tub above the opening 24 so that it will receive and deflectthe water from the end 23 of the inlet tube 2|, a fluid receiver open tothe atmosphere being thus formed in the tub wall. As shown in Figures 1and 5, a bafile member 29 is inserted and secured in the opening 24 toassure that water will be deflected on contact therewith partly to onebranch 26 and partly to the other branch 21, the relative position ofthe baiile member 29 and its alignment with the tube end 23 is shownmore clearly in Figure 5.

The tube 22 is fed from a, water mixing valve 30 shown in Figures 2 and3. This valve may be of any desired type which will mix water from hotand cold conduits leading to the valve. The details of such a valvealthough forming no part of the present invention may be of a type suchas disclosed in U. S. Patent Number 2.269.259 or 2,310,975.

In operation the mechanism controlling vflow of water through the tube2| is actuated to allow water under pressure to flow out through the end23 of. the tube and this end is directed as shown 3 in Figure 5 towardthe baillemember so that flow of water is across the air gap between theopening 24 and the end of the tube 23. The end of the tube 23 is spacedabove the opening 24 and even though the tub Ill be assumed entirelyfull there could never be: a back flow of water from the tub 16 to theend of the tube 23. A vertical height between the maximum possible waterlevel in the tub and the tube 23 is on the order of one inch, whichconforms to general requirements in ordinances requiring a "vacuumbreaker. As the water is directed against the batlle 29 it divides intoconduits 26 and 21. As shown in Figure 4, the cylinder rotates clockwisein the direction of the arrow and the two streams of water ejected fromthe conduits 26 and 21 come together at a point adjacent the end ofconduit 26. The direction of flow afforded from the conduit 21 causesthat flow to be directed in the same direction as the outer surface ofcylinder I I during rotation. Therefore the tendency Y of the cylinderrotation is to in effect pull water from the end of conduit 21 and toinduce flow therein in a direction into the tub. However, the outlet ofthe conduit 26 is in a different direction, substantially parallel tothe axis of rotation, and strikes the rotating cylinder surface nearlyat right angles to the direction of movement of such surface past theend of the conduit and therefore the same flow is not induced in suchconduit 26 as is induced in conduit 21. Therefore, the amount anddirection of flow in the two conduits 26 and 21 is not equal. Therefore,even though there should be 'sufilcient suds pressure to cause a backflow out through conduit 26 the flow induced in conduit 21 will pullsuch minor flow of suds into the tub again as it will flow only up tothe baffle 29 before being subjected to the suction in conduit 21. It isalso apparent that either or both conduits provide a degree ofrestricted entry into the tub which in itself is suiiicient to take careof a majority of the excessive suds conditions which are encountered inpractice since the conduits are of sufflcient length to assure that theoutlet ends of conduits inside the tub are a distance definitely removedfrom the opening 24 in the tub wall.

Although the invention has been described by reference to a structurefound practical in actual operation it is understood that variousmodifications are intended within the scope of the following claims.-

We claim:

1. In a washing machine having a rotatable clothes containing member anda tub with a wall spaced from and surrounding said rotatable member, awater inlet for said tub designed to prevent flow of suds from an openfluid receiver in the wall of said tub comprising a pair of conduitsbranching and extending into said tub from a common communicatingopening formed by said receiver, said branching conduits extending inthe same general direction but having outlets therefrom directing fluidin different directions relative to the direction of rotation of saidrotatable member, whereby rates of flows induced in said conduits byrotation of said rotatable member are unequal.

2. In a washing machine having a rotatable clothes containing member anda tub with a wall spaced from and surrounding said rotatable member, awater inlet for said tub designed to prevent reverse flow from said tubcomprising a pair of conduits extending into said tub, one of saidconduits having an inner outlet directed to pro- 4 duce a flowsubstantially parallel to the axis or rotation of said rotatable memberand at right angles to the direction of rotation of the outer surface ofsaid rotatable member and the other of said conduits having an outletdirected substantially tangential to the outer surface of said rotatablemember, and in the same general direction as the rotation of the outersurface of said rotatable member, a water tube having an outlet spacedfrom the wall of said tub and positioned to direct a stream of watertoward said conduits. and a dividing member between said conduitspositioned to divide the stream of water from said water tube for flowinto each of the said conduits.

3. In a washing machine having a rotatable clothes containing member anda tub with a wall spaced from and surrounding said rotatable member, awater inlet for said tub designed to prevent reverse flow from an openfluid receiver in the wall of said tub comprising a pair of conduitsbranching from said fluid receiver and extending into said tub in adirection substantially parallel to the wall thereof, a water tubehaving an outlet spaced from the wall of said tub and positioned todirect a stream of water into said fluid receiver and said conduits anda dividing member in said fluid receiver adjacent the region ofbranching of said conduits and positioned to be contacted by said streamand to divide said stream for flow into said conduits.

4. In a washing machine having a rotatable clothes containing member anda tub with a wall spaced from and surrounding said rotatable member, awater inlet for said tub designed to prevent reverse flow of suds froman open receiver in the wall of said tub comprising a conduit extendinginto said tub from said fluid receiver and having a length suflicient toextend a distance inside said wall to an outlet positioned in the spacebetween said wall and the outer surface of said rotatable member, saidconduit having two branches and a dividing member in said conduitadjacent the region of branching to divide the stream of water for flowinto each of said branches, one of said branches being so formed todischarge a stream of water which is directed into said tub at rightangles to the axis of rotation of said rotatable member and the other ofsaid branches being so formed to discharge a stream of water which isdirected into said tub parallel to the axis of rotation of saidrotatable member.

5. In a washing machine having a rotatable clothes containing member anda tub with a wall spaced from and surrounding said rotatable member, awater inlet for said tub designed to prevent a reverse flow from saidtub, said water inlet comprising a conduit extending into said tub withan inlet end on the wall thereof, and a water tube having an outlet endthereof spaced outwardly from the wall of said tub and spaced from saidinlet end of said conduit to form a gap, said tube positioned to directa stream of water across said tub through said conduit, said conduithaving two branches, one of said branches being so formed to discharge astream of water which is directed into said tub at right angles to theaxis of rotation of said rotatable member and the other of said branchesbeing so formed to discharge a stream of water which is directed intosaid tub parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotatable member.

6. In a washing machine having a rotatable clothes containing member anda tub with a wall spaced from and surrounding said rotatable memher, awater inlet for said tub designed to prevent reverse flow from said tubcomprising a conduit extending into said tub and providing an outlet insaid tub between the wall of said tub and ,said rotatable member, and awater tube having an outer end thereof spaced outward from the wall ofsaid tub and spaced from the outer end of said conduit to form a gap andbeing positioned to direct a stream of water across said gap into theopen outer end of said conduit, said conduit having two branches, one ofsaid branches being so formed to discharge a stream of water which isdirected into said tub at right angles to the axis of rotation of saidrotatable member and the other of said branches being so formed todischarge a stream of water which is directed into said tub parallel tothe axis of rotation of said rotatable member. I

WALLACE F. OLIVER. ALFRED L. JENSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS of record in the

